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Introduction: Association between healthy diet and better cognition is well established, but evidence is limited to evaluate the effect of dietary changes adopted in older age. Methods: We investigated the role of dietary changes in the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) with 1260 at-risk participants (60-77 years) who were randomized to intensive multidomain intervention (including dietary counseling) or regular health advice for 2 years. Parallel process latent growth curves of adherence to dietary recommendations and cognitive performance were analyzed. Results: Adherence to healthy diet at baseline predicted improvement in global cognition, regardless of intervention allocation (P = .003). Dietary improvement was associated with beneficial changes in executive function, especially in the intervention group (P = .008; P = .051 for groups combined). Discussion: Dietary changes initiated during the intervention were related to changes in executive function in 2 years. Long-term diet appeared more influential for global cognition. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Background Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) is a multi-center, randomized, controlled trial ongoing in Finland. Materials Participants (1200 individuals at risk of cognitive decline) are recruited from previous population-based non-intervention studies. Inclusion criteria are CAIDE Dementia Risk Score ≥6 and cognitive performance at the mean level or slightly lower than expected for age (but not substantial impairment) assessed with the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) neuropsychological battery. The 2-year multidomain intervention consists of: nutritional guidance; exercise; cognitive training and social activity; and management of metabolic and vascular risk factors. Persons in the control group receive regular health advice. The primary outcome is cognitive performance as measured by the modified Neuropsychological Test Battery, Stroop test, and Trail Making Test. Main secondary outcomes are: dementia (after extended follow-up); disability; depressive symptoms; vascular risk factors and outcomes; quality of life; utilization of health resources; and neuroimaging measures. Results Screening began in September 2009 and was completed in December 2011. All 1200 persons are enrolled and the intervention is ongoing as planned. Baseline clinical characteristics indicate that several vascular risk factors and unhealthy lifestyle–related factors are present, creating a window of opportunity for prevention. The intervention will be completed during 2014. Conclusions The FINGER is at the forefront of international collaborative efforts to solve the clinical and public health problems of early identification of individuals at increased risk of late-life cognitive impairment, and of developing intervention strategies to prevent or delay the onset of cognitive impairment and dementia.

Introduction: Lifetime exposure to occupational complexity is linked to late-life cognition, and may affect benefits of preventive interventions. Methods: In the 2-year multidomain Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), we investigated, through post hoc analyses (N = 1026), the association of occupational complexity with cognition. Occupational complexity with data, people, and substantive complexity were classified through the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Results: Higher levels of occupational complexity were associated with better baseline cognition. Measures of occupational complexity had no association with intervention effects on cognition, except for occupational complexity with data, which was associated with the degree of intervention-related gains for executive function. Discussion: In older adults at increased risk for dementia, higher occupational complexity is associated with better cognition. The cognitive benefit of the FINGER intervention did not vary significantly among participants with different levels of occupational complexity. These exploratory findings require further testing in larger studies. publishedVersion